Beam grapple



June 21, 1966 L. w. WANSLEY BEAM GRAPPLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1962 1N VENTOR. Lam h )l AA/ E) ITTORIVE Y5 June 21, 1966 L. w. WANSLEY 3,257,143

BEAM GRAPPLE Filed June 11, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

,fiazilm m ITTURNEXS June 21, 1966 L. w. WANSLEY 3,257,143

BEAM GRAPPLE Filed June 11, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

Ll Low 24 h AMSMX JITOR/VEYS United States Patent 3,257,143 BEAM GRAPPLE Loyd W. Wansley, 8124 E. Concord Blvd.,

Jacksonville, Fla. Filed June 11, 1962, Ser. No. 201,461 7 Claims. (Cl. 294101) This invention relates to a grapple or clamp for use in lifting flanged beams such as I-beams, H-beams and the like. i

One object is to provide a grapple for lifting flanged beams.

Another object is to provide a beam grapple which is simple in construction and easy to use.

Another object is toprovide a beam grapple which becomes automatically disengaged from the beam when the beam is placed in a sustained position after having been lifted.

Another object is to provide a lock-open mechanism for beam grapples.

Still another object is to provide a grapple for flanged beams whichenables the beams to be lifted by grappling engagement with the beam flanges while maintaining the line of lifting pull generally offset therefrom and above the webs of the beams.

One object of the invention described herein is to provide a grappling device which effectively carries the beams at an angle which enables their ready relacement upon the ground or elsewhere in stacked positions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a grappling device for H-beams, I-beams and the like which is simple to attach to the beams and which is provided with a lock-open device that automatically releases the grapple from gripping contact with the beam once the beam has been lowered to a sustained position on the ground or elsewhere.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a grapple embodying certain concepts of the invention, the gripping components of the grapple being shown therein in an inactive position.

FIGURE 2 is another front elevational view of the grapple shown in FIGURE It, the gripping components being shown therein in an active clamping engagement with a beam flange.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 33 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the means employed for securing a detachable gripping element to one of the jaws of the device. The view also illustrates the bifurcated structure of the body of the grapple.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of a gripping element employed in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational View of another grapple embodying certain concepts of the invention, the embodiment shown therein being provided with a mechanism that enables the gripping element to be locked in an inactive position as shown therein.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 6--6 of FIGURE 5, and further illustrates the bifurcated nature of the body portion of the clamp.

FIGURE 7 is another front elevational view of the grapple embodiment shown in FIGURE 5, certain parts being removed whereas others are shown in section.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-4, the grapple is generally designated therein by the reference numeral 10. It includes a bifurcated body portion 11, a gripping pad 12 which is mounted on one of the fixed jaws of the body portion, and an elongated pivot arm 13 which is pivotally connected to the body portion. When the grapple is in use, the lifting pull applied to the grapple is applied to arm 13.

The body 11 is generally U-shaped in configuration and includes a pair of inverted U-shaped plate-like members,

14 and 15, which are arranged in spaced parallel planes and rigidly interconnected by welding to a cylindrical element 16. Element 16 joins the adjacent legs 17 and 18 of members 14 and respectively, at the lower extremities thereof, and together with these legs forms one of the jaws 19 of the grapple body 11. The other legs of the U-shaped members 14 and 15 are generally designated by the numeral 20 and form the other fixed jaw 21 of the clamp or grapple body.

The fixed jaw portions 19 and 21 of the body 11 are spaced apart in the same plane, and define a downwardly opening slot 22 which is adapted to receive the flange of the beam to be lifted, such as flange 23 of the beam 24 shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2.

Gripping pad 12 is mounted in the cylindrical portion 16 of jaw 19. For purposes of this mounting, element 16 has a bore 25 which extends axially through the element, as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. The inside face 26 of element 16 is offset inwardly from the inside faces 27 of legs 17 and 18-, and the end of the bore adjacent face 26 is provided with an elongated portion which forms bled condition, shaft 30 fits into the bore 25 with the rear portion 31 of the cylindrical enlargement 29 being disposed in countersink 28. The front face 32 of the pad 12, as thus mounted on jaw 19, is disposed in slot 22.

Pad12 has a slot 33 which extends circumferencially around the shaft 30 intermediate its opposite ends as seen in FIGURE 4. Slot 30 is adapted to receive the end 34 of a screw element, designated at 35, and which is radially threaded in element 16, as seen in FIGURE 3, for purposes of retaining the pad 12 in the jaw mounted position. ment 35 loosely fits in slot 33 and merely prevents movement of the pad along the axis of cylindrical element 16. Otherwise the pad 12 is free to rotate about its axis in the cylindrical mounting so that the gripping edge 37 of the pad is subjected to uniform wear.

Pad 12, of course, is detachable from the jaw for reasons of the use of retaining screw element 35, and in the illustrated embodiment has a smooth flat circular face portion 32 which is disposed in the body slot 22. The circular face portion 32 junctures with the cylindrical wall 36 of the enlargement 29 and forms a sharp circular gripping edge 37 at the juncture. Edge 37 digs into the side of the beam flange when the grapple 10 is in use. Face 32 may or may not be serrated depending on whether added gripping surface is desired on the pad.

One end portion of pivot arm 13 fits into the slot 38 between U-shaped members 14 and 15, and the arm is adapted to pivot in substantially the same general plane in which the jaws 19 and 21 are aligned. Slot 38 opens to the exterior of the body along the edges thereof except at the lower end of jaw 19 whereat the slot is closed by wall portion 54 of cylinder element 16. As seen in FIG- URES 1 and 2, end portion 39 of the arm 13 is substantially U-shaped in nature, being inverted and arranged between the plates 14 and 15, whereas the other end portion 40 of the arm is generally offset from the body of the grapple and provided with crane hook receiving eye portion 41. Arm 13 is secured to the body 11 by means In the assembled condition, end 34 of ele- 3 of a headed bolt 43 which extends through the legs 20 of members 14 and 15, and through the outer leg 42 of the inverted U-shaped portion 39 of the arm which is interbolt as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Leg 42 of the U-shaped portion 39 has an arcuate serrated face portion which faces generally inwardly toward the edge of the slot 46 which is formed by the inner and outer legs 47 and 42 respectively of the U-shaped portion 39. Face portion 45 is excentrically disposed with respect to the pivot axis 43 for arm 13 and in general confronting relationship to the face 32 of the pad 12. Face portion 45 functions as a cammed gripping element which is movable into and out of gripping engagement with the flange of a beam disposed in slot 22 in accord with the pivotal movement of arm 13. Ann 13 functions as a means for clamping the beam flange in the body slot 22 between the serrated face 45 and the edge portion 37 of pad element 12 in response to a pulling force exerted on the grapple. Face portion 45 in the embodiment is an integral component of the arm 13, and the balance of the arm 13 forms a lever 48 which is pivotally connected to the jaw 21 and adapted to move the face portion into and out of side gripping engagement with beam flanges disposed in the slot 22 of the body 11. End portion 40 is offset from the side edge of jaw 19 and from the pivot axis for the arm, and by applying a lifting pull, as indicated in the direction of arrow 49 to the end portion 40, the lever is caused to pivot relative to the body around the axis established by pin 43 to move the face portion 45 generally toward the face .of the gripping pad 12 so as to grip the flanged components of the beam therebetween. The beam grapple, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, includes a body portion 11 having an upper limit and a lower limit and the end portion 40, which is offset from the side edge of jaw 19, is located generally between the horizontal planes that define the upper and lower limits of the body member while the beam grapple is in its beam releasing position. As further shown in the drawing, end portion 40 is offset from the jaw 19 a distance generally equal to the distance between the jaws 19 and 20.

In FIGURE 2, the components of the self-releasing grapple are shown in the positions which they assume when a beam such as beam 24 is being lifted. As seen therein, the inner side 50 of the flange 23 is primarily gripped by pad element 12 at the upper reaches of the sharp circular edge portion 37 whereas the outer side 51 of the flange is gripped by the serrations in the arcuate face portion 45. When beam 24 is being placed in a resting position after having been lifted, and as the lifting pull in the direction of arrow 49 is removed from the end 40 of the lever, the weight of the lever 48 imparts a releasing pivotal movement to the arm in the direction of arrow 53 which moves the face portion 45 out of gripping engagement with the side 51 of beam 24. Pivotal movement of arm 13 in the direction of arrow 53 relative to the body 11 is limited in the illustrated embodiment by engagement of the arm 13 with the wall portion 54 of the cylinder 16 between the spaced members 14 and 15 as indicated at 55.

When grapple 10 is employed for lifting an H-beam, arm 13 is first manipulated by the ground man to assume a position relative to the body 11, such as that shown in FIGURE 1. Thereafter the gripple is placed on the flange of the beam such as the flange 23 of beam 24 in FIGURE 2. The grapple 10 may be used alone and directly suspended from a crane hook or the grapple may be used in pairs and suspended from the ends of wire eyes attached to the crane hook when desired. In either case the crane hook receiving eye portion 41 of the arm 13 is placed over the web of the beam so that the lifting pull is exerted close to the center of gravity of the beam. Thereafter the crane operator causes the lifting pull to be applied at the end portion 40 of the leverage member 48 so that the lever pivots in the direction of .49 and thus brings the face portion 45 of the arm 13 into engagement with side of flange 23. As this happens, the flange 23 is clamped between the face 45 and the pad 12, and due to the fact that the center of gravity of the beam 24 is offset from the elongated axis of slot 22 and from the flange gripping components of the grapple, the beam 24 tends to dig into the edge 37 at the upper extremity of face 32. Thereafter the gripping components of the grapple is maintained by reasons of the counteracting nature of the lifting pull applied in the direction of 49 and the force of gravity exerted on the beam 24, until the beam is again placed in a sustained resting position, as for example, on the ground.

As the beam 24 is brought into a resting position on the ground, the pull in the direction of 49, at the end 40 of the lever is released and the end 40 of the lever pivotally moves in the direction of 53 relative to body 11 to release the grasp on the flange, as face 45 moves out of gripping engagement with the side 51 of the flange.

Now, with particular reference to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5-7, the grapple is therein designated by the numeral 61, and includes a body portion 62, which, like the body 11 of grapple 10, includes spaced like U- shaped members 63 and 64. Inverted U-shaped members 63 and 64 are rigidly interconnected by means of a cylindrical component 65 in which the gripping pad element 66 of the grapple 61' is mounted. The spaced legs 67 and 68 of the U-shaped members 63 and 64, together with the cylindrical element 65, form the opposite jaws 69 and 76 of the body 62, the jaws being generally aligned in the same general plane and forming a downwardly opening beam flange-receiving slot 71 in the body of the clamp in a manner similar to the components of grapple 10. The cylindrical element 65 also has a bore 72 having a countersink portion 73 at the inner end of the cylinder and which facilitates the mounting of the pad 66 in the cylinder. Pad 66 is identical to pad 12, utilized in grapple 10, and is mounted in the cylinder 65 in the same manner through the use of a threaded element 74 which extends radially through the wall of the cylinder 65 to engage within the slot 75 in shaft portion 76 thereof so as to prevent axial movement of the :pad While permitting free rotation thereof in the mounting.

The pivot arm component 77 of grapple 61 is structurally similar to arm component 13 of grapple 10 except for the differences with respect to the end portion 7 8 of the arm which is offset from the body 62, and which difference will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out. Thus, arm 77 includes a serrated arcuate face portion 79 on the inside of the outer leg 80 of the U-shaped end portion 81 of the arm 77 and which by reasons of the eccentric nature therein relative to the pivot axis for the arm acts as a cammed grapping element. The U- shaped end portion 81 of arm 77 fits between the inverted U-shaped members 64 and 63, and is pivotally connected to jaw 70 of the body 62 by means of a headed bolt 82 which passes through the legs 68 of members 63 and 64 and through the outer leg 80 and end portion 81 which is interposed therebetween. Bolt 82 establishes the axis for pivotal movement of arm 77 and is maintained in position by means of a nut 83 which threadedly engages the end of the bolt at the front side of the grapple body 62. The lever component 84 of the arm 77 in this embodiment is also integrally formed with the serrated face portion 79 of the arm, and carries a shackle member 85 at the outer end portion 78 thereof. Shackle 85 forms a component of a lock-open mechanism, generally designated at 86, and also provides a means for transmitting the lifting pull applied to the grapple to the end portion 78 of the lever arm 77. I

Shackle 85 is composed of spaced parallel and like plate components 87 and 88, as best seen by reference to FIG- URES 5 and 7. Plates 87 and 88 are rigidly attached at the upper end portion 89 of the shackle by an arcuate plate section 90 which is welded to the inside of the spaced plates. This end portion 89 of the shackle is provided with a crane hook receiving eye 91 so as to facilitate the attachment of grapple 61 to. a-source of lifting pull. Plates 87 and 88 at the bottom or other end 92 of the shackle 85 straddle the opposite sides of end portion 78 of arm 77, and the shackle 89 is pivotally secured thereat by means of a headed bolt 93 which passes through the lower end portions of the plate components, 87 and 88, and through the arm portion 78 interposed therebetween as seen in FIGURES 5 and 7. Bolt 93 establishes a pivot axis for pivotal movement of shackle 85 with respect to arm 77 and is maintained in position by means of nut 94 which threadedly engages the bolt at the front of the plate 88.

The lock open mechanism 86 of grapple 61 is provided to lock the face portion 79 at an ofiset position with respect to the gripping pad element 66 and to accomplish this locking feature automatically when the lifting pull is released from-the shackle 85. To accomplish this, the upper edge portion 96, at the outer end portion 78, of arm 77 is provided with a pair of notches, designated at at 106 until it reaches the position shown at 107, and at Which position 107, pawl 99 becomes fully engaged in slot 98 and limits further coutnerclockwise pivotal movement of the shackle.

In the embodiment shown, when pawl 99 is engaged in notch 98, the outer end of handle 102 is adapted and arranged to engage the arcuate place sector 90 upon further clockwise movement of pawl 99 to thus prevent disengagement of the pawl 99 from notch 98 and further counterclockwise movement of the shackle 85 on arm 77.

The action of the pawl 99 in limiting the counterclockwise movement of the shackle 85, as viewed in FIGURES 5 and 7, is most advantageously utilized in the lock-open mechanism 86, as will be seen most particularly by first reference'to FIGURE 5. As seen therein, lever 84 is in a position such that the beam flange gripping components of the grapple 61 are spaced apart and the components are locked in the open' position by mechanism 86. In the position shown in FIGURE 5, counterclockwise pivotal movement of lever 84 relative to body 62 about the axis established by pin 82 is limited by engagement of the bottom edge of the lever 77 with the wall portion of the cylinder 65 between plate members 63 and 64, as indicated at 109.

The plate components 87 and 88 of the shackle 85 are provided with edge portions, designated at 110, which are 97 and 98, which cooperate with a pawl 99 that is mount ed between the plates of and carried on shackle 85. Pawl 99 is mounted on the shackle 85, between the plates 87 and 88 thereof, and generally above the pivotal connection 93 which secured the shackle 85 to arm 77. Pawl 99 is pivotally mounted between these plates by means of a headed bolt 100 which extends through the shackle plates and through one end of the pawl element 99, as seen in the figures. Bolt 100 is maintained in position by means of a nut 101 which threadedly engages the end of the bolt 100 at the front of the shackle, as seen in FIGURE 5. So as to facilitate the manual manipulation of the pawl element 99, a handle 102 which is integrally formed with the pawl 99, and which extends upwardly therefrom and outwardly through the slot 103 that is formed between the plates 87 and 88 of the shackle, is provided. The end 104 of the pawl and handle 102 are slightly offset from the vertical plane that extends through the horizontal axis established for the pawl by bolt 100 so that the weight of these elements tend to cause the pawl 99 to pivot in the direction of arrow 105 (FIGURE 7) when the shackle is suspended and in use.

Shackle 85 is adapted to pivot or swing with respect to arm member 77 in substantially the same general plane in which the jaw portions 69 and 70 of the body 62 are aligned. When lever 84 is in the position shown in FIG- URE 7 relative to the body 62, the shackle 85 is capable of swinging about the axis established by bolt 93 between the solid lines position for the shackle 85 shown at 107, and another position which is shown in broken lines, and designated therein as 106. component 91 at the upper end portion 89 of the shackle is closer to the pivot axis established by bolt 82 for lever 84 at the broken line position 106 than at the solid line position 107, and in this respect further clockwise pivotal movement of the shackle 85 relative to arm 77 about the axisestablished by pin 93, as viewed in FIG- URE 7 is limited, when the shackle is in position 106, by engagement between the edge 108 of the arcuate plate sector 90 and the upper edge of the lever 84 thereat. On the other hand, when the shackle 85 is in the position shown at 106 in FIGURE 7, counterclockwise movement of the shackle 85 about the axis established by the headed bolt 93, is limited by the engagement of the pawl 99 in slot 97. By manipulating handle 102, however, to dis,- engage the end 104 of pawl 99 from notch 97, shackle 85 can be moved counterclockwise out of the position shown It is apparent that the eye offset from the axis of pin 93 and which are adapted to clear the confronting outside edge portions 110 of legs 67 of jaw 69 when the shackle is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 15, and when the lever 84 is retained in the limited pivotal position shown therein. To accomplish this pivotal movement, pawl 99 of course must be disengaged from notch 97. When pawl 99 is engaged in notch 97, however, any lifting force applied to the shackle 85, as in the direction of arrow 116, tends to cause clockwise pivotal movement of lever 84 and thus the closing of the gripping components of the grapple. This closing, however, is prevented and the components locked open by the tapered outside edge portions 111 of legs 67 of jaw 69 which are abutted and wedgingly engaged by the edges of the shackle as arm 84 pivots in the clockwise direction viewedin FIGURE 5.

Edges 111 of legs 67 taper downwardly and inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of slot 71 from a point generally indicated at 112 and which is slightly above a line drawn between the axes of bolt-s 82 and 93 when the lever I 84. is in the limited pivot position shown in FIGURE 5. i

The edges 111 below point 112 are so arranged as to fall within an arc of a circle passing through point 112 and having a center at pivot 82. Edges 110 of the shackle 85,

however, are so arranged that they fall within this are when pawl 99 is engaged in notch 97, and consequently edge-s 110 and 111 bind to lock the pad 66 and serrated face portion 79 apart and in the open position where a lifting pull is applied to the shackle 85.

The automatic nature of the lock open mechanism is evident by first considering FIGURE 7 wherein the grapple is seen lifting beam 113. As the beam 113 is placed in a ground resting position and the lifting pull is released from the shackle 85, arm 77 tends to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 82 .and the shackle tends to pivot in a clockwise direction about headed bolt 93. As this happens edge portions 110 engage the edges of the body plates 63 and 64above point 112, thus limiting the clockwise pivotal movement of shackle 55 relative to arm 77 and preventing disengagement of pawl 99 from notch 98. Thereafter edge portions 110 ride downwardly past point 112 as arm 77 pivots in the counterclockwise direction until the shackle 85 can pivot in the clockwise direction to the point where pawl 99 engages in notch 97. At

' this point the gripping components are locked in the open grapple is lifted from the beam by the further application the lifting pull.

When the grapple 61 is employed for lifting a beam, such as that shown by broken lines, and designated at 113 in FIGURE 7, the components of the grapple are first manipulated so that they assume the general positions shown in FIGURE 5, with the gripping components locked in the open position. Thereafter the grapple 61 is placed on the flange of the beam so that the end portion 78 of the arm 77 is disposed generally above the web such as 115 of beam 113. Thereafter, and as a lifting pull is exerted on the shackle 85, in the direction of arrow 11a. handle 102 is manipulated so that the end 104 of the pawl 99 is disengaged from notch 97, thus enabling shackle 85 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction with respect to lever arm 84, as viewed in FIGURE 5, until the end 104 of the pawl 99 becomes engaged in notch 98 while simultaneously permitting lever 84 to pivot in a clockwise direction about the axis '82 established by pin 82 until the serrated face portion 79 of the arm '77 engages the side, such as side 117, of the beam flange 114 to clamp the flange 114 between pad 66 and the serrated portion 79. The flange 114 is, of course, gripped by element 66 and face portion 79 in the same manner described with respect to grapple 10.

When the beam 113 is being lifted, pawl 99 is engaged in notch 98, and this engagement tends to maintain the beam in the position shown in FIGURE 7 and avoids undue swinging of the grapple components relative to the axis of pivot 93.

Upon bringing the beam 113 again to a ground resting position, the lifting pull is released, and this enables the shackle 85, which by reasons of its inwardly offset center of gravity relative to pivot 93, to pivot in the direction of :arrow 118 as the end portion 78 of arm 77 falls downwardly, generally in the direction of arrow 95, as it simultaneously pivots about the axis established by pin 82. As this happens, pivotal movement of shackle 85 is restricted as the abutting edge portion 110 of the shackle 85 rides over the upper extremity 112 of the tapered edges 111, and thereafter pawl 99 becomes engaged in notch 97 as clockwise rotation of the shackle 85 is completed when the edges 110 fall below point 112. This engagement of pawl 99 in slot 97 is automatic and is caused by the offset nature of the weight of the handle 102 and pawl 99 relative to the axis established by pin 100. When the pawl 99 is engaged in notch 97 and arm 77 is in the posi tion shown. in FIGURE 5, the gripping components of the grapple are in the open position shown therein. Thereafter'a lifting pull can be exerted on the shackle 85 in the direction of arrow 116 and the components become locked in the inactive position by reasons of the wedging engagement between edges 110 and 111 as the grapple is removed from the beam.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A beam grapple including a body member having a pair of rigidly spaced and substantially planarly aligned jaws that define a beam flange receiving slot which opens downwardly of said body member, said body member having an upper limit and a lower limit, a gripping pad detachably mounted on one of said jaws and having a beam flange gripping edge portion disposed in said slot, and movable means connected to said body member comprising an arcuate serrated face portion for engagement against the outer side of a beam flange disposed in said slot, the inner side of the beam flange being engaged by said edge portion when said face portion forcibly clamps the. beam flange between said face portion and said edge portion, said movable means further comprising pivotally movable leverage means for moving said face portion into and out of outer side gripping engagement with the beam flange in said slot, said leverage means having an end portion disposed generally above and offset from said one jaw a distance generally equal to the distance between said jaws, said end portion of said leverage means being located between the horizontal planes defining said upper and lower limit of said body member when said beam grapple is in its beam releasing position, said face portion being connected to said leverage means for movement into said outer side gripping engagement in response to a lifting pull applied to said end portion thereby lifting the beam, said face portion thereafter moving out of said outer side gripping engagement in response to a relaxation of said end portion when the beam is unsupported by said grapple, said end portion being adapted to move freely by gravity thereby releasing the clamped beam from between said face portion and said edge portion.

2. A beam grapple in accord with claim 1 further including a lock open mechanism carried by said leverage means for automatically locking said face portion at an offset position with respect to said gripping edge portion in response to a lifting pull applied to said end portion after the beam has been released.

3. Av beam grapple in accord with claim 1 further including a lock open mechanism for automatically locking said face portion at an offset position with respect to said gripping edge portion in response to a lifting pull applied to said end portion after the beam has been released, said mechanism comprising a shackle having a crane hook receiving end portion, connecting means offset from said hook receiving end portion attaching said shack-1e to said end portion, said shackle being swingable in substantially the same plane of said jaws on said connecting means between a first position and a second position with respect to said leverage means, said crane hook receiving portion being above and closer to the pivot axis of said leverage means at said first position than at said second position, and releasable means attached to said shackle and engageable with said end portion for limiting swinging movement of said shackle with respect to said leverage means from said first position to said second position.

4. In a beam grapple, the combination of a pair of rigidly spaced planarly aligned jaws that define a downwardly opening slot, a gripping pad carried one one of said jaws having a face disposed in said slot, a rigid arm mounted on the other of said jaws for pivotal movement in the general plane of said jaws, and a shackle member having a crane hook receiving eye port-ion, said arm having a downwardly opening U-shaped end portion that includes an arcuate serrated face portion which faces generally toward the slot in said U-shaped end portion and which confronts the face of the gripping pad, said serrated face portion being movable toward and away from said face in accord with pivotal movement of said arm, said arm further having another end portion, first means extending through the U-shaped end portion pivotally connecting said arm to said other of said jaws, said other end portion of said arm being movable from a first pivot position offset from and disposed laterally of said one jaw to a second pivot position generally above said first pivot position in accord with pivotal movement of said arm, second means pivotally connecting said shackle member to said other end portion of said arm, said shackle member being pivotally movable between one position and another position in the general plane of said jaws, said crane hook receiving portion being generally above said arm, said shackle having a jaw abutting portion offset from said second means adapted and arranged to abuttingly engage the outside of said one jaw upon movement of said end portion of said arm from saidfirst pivot position toward said second pivot position when said shackle member is at said one position whereby pivotal movement of 9 said arm from said first pivot position to said second pivot position is restrained, said jaw abutting portion being further adapted and arranged to clear said outside of said one jaw when said shackle member is in said second position and when said arm is moved from said first pivot position to said second pivot position, and means carried by said shackle and cooperating with said arm at said end portion thereof for limiting pivotal movement of the crane hook receiving portion away from said first means in each of its operative said positions.

5. A beam grapple including a body member having a pair of rigidly spaced and substantially p'lan'arly aligned jaws that define a beam flange receiving slot which opens downwardly of said body member, said body member having an upper limit and a lower limit, a gripping pad mounted on one of said jaws and having a beam flange gripping edge portion disposed in said slot, a unitary elongated lever having a serrated face portion adjacent one of its end portions, pivot means adjacent said face portion for connecting said lever to said body member adjacent the other of said jaws, said face portion being moveable against the outer side of a beam flange disposed in said slot, the inner side of the beam flange being engaged by said edge portion of said pad when said face portion forcibly clamps the beam flange between said face portion and said edge portion, said lever being movable in substantially the same plane as said jaws, said lever extending from its said pivot means toward said one jaw and terminating in the other side of its said end portions laterally offset from said one jaw a distance generally equal to the distance between said jaws, said other end portion of said lever being located between the horizontal planes defining said upper and lower limits of said body member when said beam grapple is in its beam releasing position, said face portion moving into said outer side gripping engagement in response to a lifting pull applied to said other end portion thereby lifting the beam, said face portion thereafter moving out of said outer side gripping engagement in response to a relaxation of said other end portion when the beam is unsupported by said grapple, said other end portion being adapted to move freely by gravity thereby releasing the clamped beam from between said face portion and said edge portion.

6. A beam grapple including a body member having a pair of rigidly spaced and substantially planarly aligned jaws that define a beam flange receiving slot which opens downwardly of said body member, said body member having an upper limit and a lower limit, a gripping pad mounted on one of said jaws and having a beam flange gripping edge portion disposed in said slot, a unitary elongated lever having one end portion including a generally upright portion for engagement with the beam flange, pivot means adjacent said upright portion for connecting said up right portion to said body member adjacent the other of said jaws, said upright portion being movable against the outer side of the beam flange disposed in said slot, the inner side of the beam flange being engaged by said edge portion of said pad when said upright portion forcibly clamps the beam flange between said upright portion and side edge portion, said lever being movable in substantially the same plane as said jaws, said lever upright portion extending upwardly from said pivot means, said one end portion having a generally horizontal portion extending from said upright portion transversely above said slot and toward said one jaw, said lever having another end portion extending from said horizontal portion and terminating laterally offset from said one jaw a distance generally equal to the distance between said jaws, said other end portion of said lever being located between the horizontal planes defining said upper and lower limits of said body member when said beam grapple is in its beam releasing position, said other end portion being disposed generally inwardly of the beam flange and adapted to be moved upwardly in response to a lifting pull applied thereto, said upright portion moving into said outer side gripping engagement in response to a lifting pull app-lied to said other end portion thereby lifting the beam, said upright portion thereafter moving out of said outer side gripping engagement in response to a relaxation of said other end portion when the beam is unsupported by said grapple, said other end portion being adapted to move freely by gravity thereby releasing the clamped beam from between said upright portion and said edge portion.

7. A beam grapple including a body member having a pair of rigidly spaced and substantially plan-arly aligned jaws that define a beam flange receiving slot which opens downwardly of said body member, a gripping pad mounted on one of said jaws and having a beam flange gripping edge portion disposed in said slot, a unitary elongated lever having one end portion including a generally upright portion for engagement with the beam flange, pivot means adjacent said upright portion for connecting said up right port-ion to said body member adjacent the other of said jaws, said upright portion being movable against the outer side of the beam flange disposed in said slot, the inner side of the beam flange being engaged by said edge portion of said pad when said upright portion forcibly clamps the beam flange between said upright portion and side edge portion, said lever being movable in substantially the same plane as said jaws, said lever upright portion extending upwardly from said pivot means, said one end portion having a generally horizontal portion extending from said upright portion transversely above said slot and toward said one jaw, said lever having another end portion extending from said horizontal portion and terminating laterally offset from said one jaw, said other end portion being disposed generally inwardly of the beam flange and adapted to be moved upwardly in response to a lifting pull applied thereto, said upright portion moving into said outer side gripping engagement in response to a lifting pull applied to said other end portion thereby lifting the beam, said upright portion thereafter moving out of said outer side gripping engagement in response to a relaxation of said other end portion when the beam is unsupported by said grapple, said other end portion being adapted to move freely by gravity thereby releasing the clamped beam from between said upright portion and said edge portion, a shaekle member pivotally mounted to said other end portion of said lever, a lock open mechanism between said shackle member and said lever for automatically locking said upright portion out of said outer side gripping engagement in response to a lifting pull applied to said shackle and said other end portion of said lever after the beam has been released.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,180,031 4/ 1-916 'Greve 294-9'1 2,360,366 10/1944 Renfroe 294--104 2,654,631 10/ 1953 Renfroe 294-104 3,162,476 12/1964 Renfroe 294-104 X R FOREIGN PATENTS 462,986 7/ 1-928 Germany.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, SAMUEL F. COLEMAN,

Examiners. 

1. A BEAM GRAPPLE INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF RIGIDLY SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PLANARLY ALIGNED JAWS THAT DEFINE A BEAM FLANGE RECEIVING SLOT WHICH OPENS DOWNWARDLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A UPPER LIMIT AND A LOWER LIMIT, A GRIPPING PAD DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID JAWS AND HAVING A BEAM FLANGE GRIPPING EDGE PORTION DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT, AND MOVABLE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER COMPRISING AN ARCUATE SERRATED FACE PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT AGAINST THE OUTER SIDE OF A BEAM FLANGE DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT, THE INNER SIDE OF THE BEAM FLANGE BEING ENGAGED BY SAID EDGE PORTION WHEN SAID FACE PORTION FORCIBLY CLAMPS THE BEAM FLANGE BETWEEN SAID FACE PORTION AND SAID EDGE PORTION, SAID MOVABLE MEANS FURTHERR COMPRISING PIVOTALLY MOVABLE LEVERAGE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FACE PORTION INTO AND OUT OF OUTER SIDE GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BEAM FLANGE IN SAID SLOT, SAID LEVERAGE MEANS HAVING AN END PORTION DISPOSED GENERALLY ABOVE AND OFFSET FROM SAID ONE JAW A DISTANCE GENERALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID JAWS, SAID END PORTION OF SAID LEVERAGE MEANS BEING LOCATED BETWEEN THE HORIZONTAL PLANES DEFINING SAID UPPER AND LOWER LIMIT OF SAID BODY MEMBER WHEN SAID BEAM 